Trouble-light outfit



Jan. 8,1929.

W. J. MAT [SON TROUBLE LIGHT OUTFIT w w W y g 3 w 2 Z5 INVENTQB lwgmm.

" ATTORNEY Jan.8,192. Lewm W. J. MATTSQN TROUBLE LIGHT OUTFIT Filed Sept. 6, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a i ii .1 10 602a BY ATONE Patented Jan. 8, 1929. 1

PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM J. marrsoiv, or iwoar'n rirnsme, mmnnsora.

TROUBLE-LIGHT OUTFIT.

Application filed SeptemberG, 1927. Serial No. 217,737.

This invention relates to so-called trouble lamps and is more particularly concerned with a device of this character, constructed and arranged to be built into an automobile so as always to be available for use.

An object of the invention is to provide a practically self-contained outfitcf this character of simple rugged construction, arranged for mounting on the body of an automobile with the operating and contact parts housed out of the way and readily accessible for use.

A further object of invention is to simplify and improve the light switch and to provide means for breaking the circult through the return of the light cable on the reel.

These and other objects and features of my improved construction are more fully described in the following detailed specification when read in connection with the accompan ing drawings forming part thereof and 1n which: 7

Figure 1 is a view of the tonneau of an automobile illustrating one manner of mounting my light outfit thereon,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section throu h the casing housing the outfit, and provi ing a self-contained unit,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a similar section on the same scale taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2',

Figure 5 is also a transverse vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4, the casing being omitted to disclose the reel contact,

Figure 7 is a detail view of the cooperating contacts of case and reel, detached,

Figure 8 is adetail section of the switch and reel construction shown in Figure 4, detached.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a metal casing or box-which may be formed of stamped sheet metal appropriately shaped and bent to provide a box-like structure with one open end, (closed. by the spring motor section hereinafter described) and one hinged door end 2, (Fig. 2), and a front side havin a slot 3 extendin inwardly from its hinged end for the exit 0 the light cable.

At a point adjacent to but spaced from the door end of the casing 1, a flat metal bar 4 traverses and has its squared reduced ends seated in its opposite sides. This bar, best seen 1n Figures 2 and 5, serves to journal one end of a reel having the usual flanged ends 5, and having wound thereon an insulated light cable 6, the inner terminal of which has its wires appropriately connected to the reel contact members 7 and 8 having feet secured to the drum 9 of the reel which is of insulating material, suitable clamping nuts 10 being provided on the contact members to hold the ends of the light cable wires.

The open end of the casing 1 is closed by a spring motor frame comprising an inner plate 11 shaped to the interior of the casing 1 and an outer plate 12 similarly shaped by havmg edge flanges 13. This last named plate is positioned at the edge of the casing and detachably secured to the casing by means of screws 14 engaging the flanges 13. The plates 11 and 12 are held in spaced relation by a series of studs 15 having their opposite ends shouldered down and threaded to receive clamping nuts. The plate 11 in line with the cross bar 4 and centrally thereof is apertured to receive the spindle 16 upon which the drum 9 of the cable reel journals. The end of the spindle 16 which extends into the space between plates 11 and 12 is squared to receive a pinion 17 and a bushing 18 is fixed on the spindle between the end flange of the reel and the plate 11 definitely positioning the spindle and pinion 17.

Within the section formed by the spaced plates 11 and 12 and at alined points below the reel spindle 16 and centrally between the sides of the casing, a shaft 19 journals in these plates and is provided centrally thereof with ears 20, and at its inner end spaced from the plate 11 and in line with the pinion 17 with a large gear 21 keyed thereon and meshing with the pinion 17. The inner. end of a coil spring 22 is attached to the ear 20, the outer end, as seen in Figure 3, being attached to an eye 23 at the side of the casing 1.

With the spindle 19 mounted within the walls 11--12 as before stated, and the'spring and gearing within these-walls, it will be obvious that reel and spring motor section housed within the plates 11-12 may be assembled in operative relation by merely inserting the spring motor sections, the spindle 16 entering through the bore in the reel drum 9 and seating in the journalling opening and cross bar 4, the end plate 12 of the spring motor casing being thereafter held in position by means of the screws 14 inserted through casing 1 and into the flanges 13 of the end plate 12 of this motor section.

The pinion 17 and large gear 21 are positioned to be constantly in mesh, and it'will therefore be obvious that the withdrawal of the cable 7 from the reel 6 will result in winding up the inner end of the coil spring 22, tensioning the spring so that it normally tends to rewind the cable thereon.

To prevent the cable from returning until it is so desired and to provide means for clos ing the circuit through the light cable when in use and for automaticallybreaking circuit and releasing the reel for rewinding automatically through its spring, I have provided novel means of simple construction as follows:

The terminal connection member or stud 7 carried by and rotating with the reel 6 is provided with, a bevelled recess forming an under-cut shoulder 24 thereon. As seen in Figure 1, the casing 1 may be mounted upon an appropriate part of a motor vehicle, as shown, on the instrument board by means of appropriate stove bolts 25, the heads of which are shown in Figure 2. The front side with this arrangement, will face the vehicle operator and the top of the casing will carry a, circuit closing switch and reel locking means which cooperates with the reel contact members 78.

Accordingly, a rectangular housing 26 is seated on the top face of the casing 1 and is provided with flanges 27 by means of which it is secured to the top of the casing, and with its slotted ends 28. The under-face of the top of this housing is faced with insulating material 29. -The housing 26 extends at a slight angle relatively to the edge of the box top and is fixed to the top of the box at that angle throu h itsbottom flanges. Mounted ;within the ousing and spaced by an insulated connecting late 30 are two switch contact studs 31 and 32 which extend through bushings 33, insulating the studs from the top of the casing.

The stud 31 above the connecting plate 30 is reduced in diameter and threaded to receive a clamping nut 34 by means of which one of the leads from a source of current supply is connected to a stud. The companion contact stud 32 is likewise reduced above the plate and threaded to receive a similar service supply clamping nut 35. The two leads attaching to these clamping nuts may extend to any suitable source of current, such as a plug fitting into the dash light socket of a motor vehicle or direct to battery connections, for exam le;

From t e contact stud 31, a' pin 36 extends laterally to underlie the under-cut shoulder 24 of the reel stud 7. The housing 26 is positioned at an angle relatively to the edge of the casing 1 in order that the switch contact 32 will aline with reel contactmember 8 with the offset pin 36 of switch contact 31 extending to a point where it will underlie the shoulder 24. The switch contact 32 is shorter than the contact 31 and is designed to press against the upper end of theme] contact 8 when the pin 36 of the outer switch contact member engages the underside of the shoulder 24 of the other reel contact. A coil spring 37 "encircling the stud 31 between the connecting plate 30 and the top face of the casing 1 normally lifts both studs 31, 32 and the plate 30 so that the studs are out of contact with the reel contact studs 7 and 8.

It is perha s best at this point to consider the circuit clhsing and reel locking operation of the two sets of contact members. Assuming that the light cable 7 is unwound to the desired distance, thereby tensioning the coil spring 22, this in turn through the gearing train normall tends to rewind the cable back on the reel t rough rotation of the reel in a reverse direction. Holding the cable under tension in one hand, the operator depresses the switch button 39 upstanding on a stud 38 forming a continuation of the contact stud 31. This will move the switch contacts 31, 32 to a point below the arc of rotation of the reel contact studs 7-8. By permitting the reel to rotate slightly backward, the stud 7 may be brought to position its shoulder 24 above the laterally offset pin 36 whereupon pressure'on the switch button is released, permitting the spring 37 to hold the pin 36 against the shoulder 24 and contact 32 against contact 8 under tension. With the lower end of the switch contact 32 thus yieldingly engaging the reel contact 8, the pin 36 will prevent further retraction or winding up movement of the reel 36 and the two pairs of switch and reel contact members will be in circuit closing relation during the time the cable is withdrawn for use. When it is desired to discontinue the use of the light attached to the end of the cable, the latter is given a slight pull outwardly to slacken or releive the rewinding pressure against in 36, whereupon the coil spring 37 will lift t e switch contacts 31, 32, from engagement with the reel contacts, breaking the circuit and releasing the reel contacts for rewinding rotation with the reel under the impulse of the tensioned coil spring 22. The angular mounting of the connecting plate 30 and contact members 31 and 32, is clearly illustrated in Figure 6.

An electric hand torch designated generically at 4, Figures 1 and 2, is provided and will normally be housed within the casing, a

uickly detaehable conneetion between the co or outer end of the cable 7 and the hand headlight bulb with its socket connected by wiring to the terminals of the entrance plug, as shown in Figure 2. The handle of the torch which may be of metal in which the plug and socket fit, and through which the connecting wires lead, may be of insulating material 41. The specific construction of the torch, per se, forms no part of the present invention. As above stated, the torch, physically and electrically disconnected from the cable. 7 is normally to be positioned within the casing 1, when not in use.

l Vhen it is desired to use the torch, the end door 2 of the casing is opened, the torch connected by the hit er-fitting pl ug and socket here- 'to'forc described and the cable drawn through the slot 3 in the front side to the extent desired, whereupon switch button 39 is depressed to close the lighting circuit through the reel contacts and to hold the reel against rewinding as previously described.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patinsulated switch contact members supported cut is:

-1. A device of the character described comprising in combination, a casing, a pa1r of r on the exterior of said casing for movement therethrough toward and from-the interior thereof and having means thereon for connection of current-supply,a vreel mounted within said casing carrying a pair of contact ineinbers a'lining and cooperating with said switch contacts, aninsulated electric cable on said'reel with its inner end in connection with said contact members, anda portable electric torch having electric connection with the outer end of the cable.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a closured casing adapted for connection to the body of a motor vehicle, a pair of insulated switch contact members supported on the exterior of said casing for movement therethrough toward and from.

the interior thereof and having means thereon for connection of current supply thereof, a reel mounted within said casing carrying a pair of contact members alining and 00-.

operating with said switch contacts, an in-' sulated cable on the reel having its inner end in electrical connection with the reel contacts, an electric hand torch in electrical connection with the outer end of the cable and said comprising, in combination, a metal casing having a hinged closure, "a reel mounted within said casing having a pair of contact members thereon and a cablevhaving its inner end connected thereto, a spring motor, within said casing operativelyalined and intergeared with said reel and wound by'cable withdrawing rotation thereof, an electric hand torch normally housed within the easing, detachable intcrfitting connections between the torch and cable, and a switch member mounted upon the exterior-of the casing and having a pair of insulated contact members movable into and out of positions of engagement with the reel contacts, one of said members acting also to arrest rewinding of the reel by the spring motor-with said contacts operatively engaged.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a cable reel having terminal electric-contacts thereon, means powered by cable withdrawal therefrom to tend normally to reversely revolve the reel to rethe combination of a spring cable reel having a pair of contact members thereon electrically connected to one end of the reel carried cable, and a switch having cooperating c0ntact members movable to and from a position to engage and hold the reel contacts in electrical connection and against rewinding movement, with means automatically operativeto move said switch contacts to release the reel contacts and reel, and to break the circuit responsively to slackening release of the spring tension on the reel,-

6. In a device of the character described, a casing, a spring reel mounted therein having spaced cable terminal contacts mounted thereon, an electric cable on said reel having its inner terminal electrically 'oined to said contacts and acting to tension t e reel by unwinding, a pair of switch contacts manually movable into circuit'closing contact with the reel terminal contacts and cooperating therewith to maintain said contact and to hold the tensioned reel against rewinding movement, said switch contacts being constructed and arranged automatically to break circuit and release the reel for rewinding upon release of the tension on said contacts by outward pull on the cable and subsequent release.

7. In a device of the character described, a casing, aspring reel mounted therein having cable terminal contacts mounted, thereon, an electric cable on said reel with its inner terminal in connection wth the reel contacts and acting to tension the reel by unwinding movement, a pair of insulated spring pressed switch contacts mounted on the exi'm'ior of the casing for manually effected projection therethrough to engage the reel contacts, corresponding switch and reel con- 5 tacts having cooperating interlocking means engageable under spring tension of the reel to make contact and hold the reel agalnst release.

WILLIAM J. MAT-TSON. 

